While some of the paper balls are cast in plaster, I've covered some in wax. The idea came to be from Phantasmagoria (Marina Warner) where she explores wax and it's role in mythology. It is mainly linked to memory, and I thought this was a prevalent theme in the piece we're putting together for the exhibition.

Eventually, we begin to discard the information- putting library books back, erasing bookmarked tabs, throwing away obsessively highlighted print outs- but it makes an impression on us in some way. And here, I am making the impression on it. I am preserving it.

Notes from group critique

Possible perceived hierarchy- some might, some not

Issue of control over words/paper- have them do it? – what would this mean or the artwork?-better if typist does it- engagement of viewer- what if they don’t step on plaster- getting someone to do it- how do we get them to know to step on them?- people follow action, not breaking- making a path- us facing a wall in corner- cant talk to people- more private- staring at viewer- waiting- harder t know if to enter- facing is less intimidating- wouldn’t want to go in- unusual way to be- want an uncomfortable envi, not a comfortable one- path to navigate- depends on curiosity- why typewriter- lost communication- symbolisms of quil and t/w- don’t want to over-complicate- our perspective or viwers- connection to sound- viewer speaking, scratching, crunching, etc- asking viewer to do things against usual conventions (talk in gallery and walk on work)- us against convention- whole paper, or one per person- plaster v not- preservation- moment vs influence of the past- ‘fossilised’- dipping is plaster before throwing?- writing and type or just writing?- different performance- testing different things which viewer might respond to- facing wall, later facing viewer etc- negotiating own instructions- preciousness to preserve line of thinking- cause and effect- presenting situation, and looking for interpretation-  playing with all ideas at once- think about what an instruction is within our practice- negotiating practice in terms of instruction- steps to make work happen- narrative line- acting to control it-too easy to get caught up in- need to play with it- research experiment, not finished work- multiple ways to do it- frustration-act of throwing- frustration at eachother in terms of how we make work?- bartering for sense of individual works- equally represented- stillness, slowness- actions not agitated, but could agitate viewer- expectations of jumpscares, etc- some peope focus more on some things than others- have definition, need to pull apart again- be confident about the fact we are going to try new things, publicly- do what you-re most worried about- possibility of failure, catalyst for more- research question- hard to define from what we-re researching- specific to others, but we can't quite see it at current- think of different ways to represent/ plan it, etc- method of practice, material we need to question- what other things could we do to try diff. perspectives and new ways of doing things- evidence things- one action can change everything- trying idea's of room, size of audience, how we should sit, etc- we can change things mid-way through the exhibition- publicly negotiating things- discomfort- is this real or performance?etc- dealing with negotiation- a lot of decision making- list of all decisions- research on the floor- books and discussions- don't think people will really look, and try to read them- so convincing don't need to pay attention, just accept it as it- do we want them to like it? not really, just want them to go away thinking- fill a void of work which we don't feel trigger emotion- make structure, break structure- careful about what we change-changing to much could make it not what we wanted- preservation, frustration, representation- see what would fit where, and where overlapping is- have started to believe the system- break down cause and effect relationship without breaking what we want to do, and express etc- could use questions from this etc in exhib as paper sculptures- need to go to space and try to experience- doing and planning can be two very, very different things- knowledge it won't be how we want it, but thats okay- how do we deal with idea of experience vs actual experience. 

Planning our exhibition

Name/slogan/phrase of collective: White Blemish(es) Members and tutor of collective: Claudia Minchella, Hayley Darbyshire, Alisha Ward Gill Addison Description of plan: We aim to create a white environment that successfully incorporates our methods of working and thinking; emphasising the importance of writing and reading. Whether we discard or savor said information, it resonates with us. The floor will be scattered in crumbled balls of notes and research dipped in plaster, and plaster casts of crumpled paper balls. The viewer may, or may not be involved in the breaking of these ‘casts’ by curiously moving closer towards the performance that will be occurring at the back corner of the room; optionally making a path to the back, or stepping on the sculptures, either breaking work or revealing our research. Currently this performance involves one of us, in shifts, facing the wall and writing down the words we hear of the viewer; relevant to the art or not. This will occur on a type-writer, or pen and paper, both possessing a sound that will echo in the space and attract the viewer to take a closer look at the work, and make a path through the ‘mistaken sculptures’. Said writing will be either thrown over our shoulder to the rest of the work, or taped onto the wall in front. Space: DLG13: We need the room as we believe it is crucial to have a private space in which the viewer is free from any other distraction; no natural light, no other sounds. This is vital as we are focusing on something that lacks a voice; writing. The only voice it possesses is the voice of the technique chosen, i.e. the pressing of the typewriter, the scratching of a pen. We aim to make the viewer aware of their own voice, far more than anywhere else in the exhibition. Therefore we require an enclosed space. The alternative space we have chosen is the morgue. We definitely do not want to be in the triangle space, BG01 or BG02 as we feel it would completely undermine what we are trying to achieve: quiet contemplation. Power: We are happy with the power available in DLG13 as the artificial lighting works well, and has the facilities to allow added lighting if we want to emphasise certain areas, and detracts from others.

Research List- Alisha

I decided to put a list of the books I've been reading, and a quick summery:

Phantasmagoria: Spirit Visions, Metaphors, and Media into the Twenty-first Century- Marina Warner:
An exploration of idea's of soul, spirit, phantom and everything in between, tracing back, predominantly, to the Enlightenment. It explores these idea's via central themes, mainly material based, such as the relationships between death, memory and wax, and spectres, air and clouds.

The Celtic Myths, Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends- Miranda Aldhouse-Green:
Introduces and explores the concepts of celtic mythology, including an introduction to who the celts where, their myths which have been passed down to us, and how they were created and told, including the druids, who continued an oral tradition of story telling, which eventually was written down, and it's place in crafts such as ornamental pots, which tell excepts of these stories

Terror and Wonder, The Gothic Imagination- The British Library, ed. Dale Townshend
Accompanying a past exhibition of the same name, the book (and the exhibition, really) explores the way the gothic imagination has long been expressed in art, literature, film, architecture, music and fashion, and why it has such a strong grip on the viewer.

POWERPOINT PRES

1st page- 

EMOTION, TIME, TRUTH, REPRESENTATION'      Alisha/Claudia/Hayley

2nd page- (Introduction)

Revisited our 'ten words'. This resulted in emphasizing our differences aswell as our similarities. Therefore we found it necessary to each pick 3 words, rather than ten, that acts as the foundation of our thoughts, processes and responses to both creating and viewing art. 

The conclusion we came to, through discussion, lead us to the importance of 'emotion' 'communication' and 'time' (in very different ways), and what we could only explain as a lost communication. 

From there we decided to attempt to use these words and phrases, either writing a short paragraph on each, or just incorporating them into our small piece of writing, then reading one anothers to find links. 

3rd page- (Talking about the words and what they mean to us)

Communication

Claudia- 'The lost communication comes in the form for things that we take for advantage, once again relating to the passing of time. Words, feelings, the now, slipping like grains of sand between our fingers, being forgotten and unappreciated along the way. Words that are said in communication that go unwritten, those moments that go unphotographed, undocumented. Words and stories that have no other path other than to eventually be lost to our own mortality'

Alisha-  'My relationship with communication is complicated- it's never been a strong point of mine, regardless of the way I'm doing it. Within my work I think my desire to communicate wavers. Sometimes, I am clear about my message, such as here, where I'm confrontational, but most often I know I'm not clear. Whilst I'm expressing an emotion or experience, it's shrouded in mystery of various sorts- hidden in fantasy based narratives. Often, my work is somewhat selfish in that respect'

Hayley-  'I want my work to communicate to everyone. Not just people who have a high understanding of the arts. I want my work to be universal and for it to affect people in some way. Whether it just simply makes them think about the here and now, whether they think about the bigger picture a few weeks later or maybe they would revisit a scene from their own past whilst confronted with the work. I'd like to think Id engage an audience through creating conversation by the topics I present to them and also through an interesting aesthetic.'

Can we ever truly communicate what we want to anyway? How important is this?
Aware that viewers will reflect their own personal experiences onto the work therefore will all take something different.

(Maybe a list of linking words at bottom of page)

4th page- (Still talking about the words...)

Emotion/Personal Experiences

Claudia- 'The way in which I use emotion is more a mixture of personal experiences and time. I will begin by reading something, and finding something I connect with from literature, and then extract it out in a universal sense.

Alisha- Pretty much all of my work has a personal element to it, it literally documents my experience of living. Sometimes it is about my emotions, whereby I tend to apply an emotion to a new situation, or find a way to demonstrate it visually. Most of my work has an entanglement with my mental state, because it;s where my idea's predominately come from. A lot of it involves my physical health, for similar reasons. Sometimes it;s my memories and I bring past experiences and elements of nostalgia into things, including life events and interests.

Hayley- Looking at myself, women and issues within society( especially women of a similar age and also in my position as an art student). This is in regards to representation, what having a voice really entails, feminism, gender, sexuality, stereotypes, language and communication with myself and others

Hayley- Interactions with other people.
Alisha- Interactions with the 'self'.
Claudia- Interactions with literature.
We all take the emotion that is surrounding us, whether it be direct or indirect, and create of the basis of feeling something. We share the aim to create work that allows a viewer to stop and take notice, to feel something, rather than simply question, or inform. We appear to want to tell a story through our work to allow the viewer to feel, whether it be good or bad. Alisha through her own story (combined with another interest), Hayley through opinions and interactions, and myself through literature and the universal idea that we are all 'beings' that feel.

5th page(talking about words still...)

Time

Claudia- 'Lost to the moment, the then, the past. 

A struggle I was seeming to have was to be able to connect this writing in a clear way. To try and capture the essence of a lost thing, something lacking a voice. Words act as a vessel to time gone by.

Other words I am interested in include memory, time, change and quiet'

Alisha- 'Generally my main links revolves around when and how I make work, such as it being an idea or feeling from a certain time. Sometimes that's not all the case is- sometimes I deal with death and decay, which is probably the most pivotal events time plays a part in. I'm always looking back to the past with my work, never the present or future, and jumping in and out of time.'

Hayley- 'Time is usually an unconscious decision which is relevant in my work. Time in relation to the views and ways of living in the past in difference to the modern day. My most recent paintings both contain this idea of indulging into a timeless dreamlike world which is created from personal experience and ideas on todays living, especially as a woman.'

6th page- (sartre)

(image of book or sartre himself)

Jean Paul Sartre

'Being and Nothingness'

Text I initially was told to read from Bernice over summer, thought the others might enjoy it as I realised we had shared interests in psychology and people in general when it came to art work.  

The book challenges the reader to confront the fundamental dilemmas of human freedom, responsibility and action. It's approach challenged all previous assumptions about the individuals relationship with the world. 

Sartre talks of 3 kinds of entity in existence; 'beings-in-themselves', 'beings-for-themselves' and 'beings-for-others'

BIT.-meaning a non-conscious thing, an essence which exists on its own from any observer

BFT.- meaning a conscious being, their consciousness renders them entirely different from other things- in relation both to themselves, to one another and to other things.

BFO.- an eavesdropper, entirely absorbed by getting his ear to the keyhole he barely distinguishes himself from his surroundings, suddenly hears a footstep in the hall and becomes aware he in under observation. He suddenly begins to exist in a different way- he begins 

The descriptions he creates are not merely to illustrate a concept. But they are written for us as readers to understand the nature of the phenomenon by accepting the truthfulness of the story. In a similar way that we may be convinced by the truth of a representation e.g. life in a film or a novel.

I'd say in relation to us all and philosophical ways of thinking;

What influences us? Why do we do certain things or see things in a particular way?

Is it better to try understand it all from a mental health perspective?

This idea of constantly analysing the way i live and think and why we do the things we do I felt initially would help me solve some of my own personal issues, which is where my work usually rises from, but from being this outside viewer constantly looking in and evaluating things, creates this  strange distance and relationship with myself that can be quite tiring and isolating.

7th page-(engaging an audience)

After discussion we all seemed to be interested in ideas around the viewers experience of our own art work, some wanting a specific audience and some more unsure. Regarding the viewers experience we all agree that a big part of our work is creating to trigger some kind of emotion in our audience. We believe this type of art work is the most rewarding to create in the sense that we're not just communicating our work with our own interests and perspectives in mind but looking at a wider picture.

The idea of galleries today. We agree that most exhibitions we go to at the moment don't seem inspiring. This idea of having to know lots of context before even entering a gallery and needing a higher understanding of the arts is projected in most exhibitions. We think it limits arts audience as a whole. People feel like they don't have enough knowledge or don't think in the 'right way' therefore feel they don't 'get' the work and automatically dismiss it. We want to focus more on where I exhibit because it is important.

Presentation Script/plan

Plan:

Similarities:

Emotions 

Importance of the audienceviewer's experience 

Lost Communication- Conveying a voice/story 

Difference: 

Reading; Hayley and Psychology, Alisha and Mythology, Claudia and Poetry & Literature

Artists: 

Location: 

Gallery 

Engage our audience through emotional content 

After discussion we all seemed to be interested in ideas around the viewer's experience with our own work, and their emotional connection. We aim to achieve a universal attitude in our work, with an attempt to not limit, or exclude who can appreciate the work. Regarding the viewers experience we all agree that a big part of our work is creating a trigger to some kind of emotion in our audience. We believe this type of art work is the most rewarding to create, in the sense that we're not just communicating our work with our own interests, perspectives and opinions, but keeping in mind that there is a wider picture; filled with a variety of people with different expereinces and circumstances. 

The idea of galleries today. Most exhibitions I go to don't seem inspiring. This idea of having to know lots of context before even entering a gallery and needing a higher understanding of the arts is projected in most exhibitions. I think it limits arts audience as a whole. People feel like they dont have enough knowledge or don't think in the 'right way' therefore feel they don't 'get' the work and automatically dismiss it. I want to focus more on WHERE I exhibit because it is important. 

PRESENTATION SCRIPT HAYLEY

'Being and Nothingness'

Text I initially was told to read from Bernice over summer, thought the others might enjoy it as I realised we had shared interests in psychology and people in general when it came to art work.  

The book challenges the reader to confront the fundamental dilemmas of human freedom, responsibility and action. It's approach challenged all previous assumptions about the individuals relationship with the world. 

Sartre talks of 3 kinds of entity in existence; 'beings-in-themselves', 'beings-for-themselves' and 'beings-for-others'

BIT.-meaning a non-conscious thing, an essence which exists on its own from any observer

BFT.- meaning a conscious being, their consciousness renders them entirely different from other things- in relation both to themselves, to one another and to other things.

BFO.- an eavesdropper, entirely absorbed by getting his ear to the keyhole he barely distinguishes himself from his surroundings, suddenly hears a footstep in the hall and becomes aware he in under observation. He suddenly begins to exist in a different way- he begins 

The descriptions he creates are not merely to illustrate a concept. But they are written for us as readers to understand the nature of the phenomenom by accepting the truthfulness of the story. In a similar way that we may be convinced by the truth of a representation e.g. life in a film or a novel.

Just going to give you one example' The Spirit Of Seriousness

The idea that people believe all values are absolute, given somehow independently of any human subjective judgement. This spirit makes us pretend that the quality of being desireable or undesireable is somehow a quality of the things themselves. Once this spirit is dismissed, it necessarily follow that a man will recognise himself as the source of all values, and when he has done this it will follow that he realizes that he can choose to value whatever he likes. 

I'd say in relation to us all and philosophical ways of thinking;

Alisha and Claudia look more at the relationships with themselves,and the objects around them in particular whereas as well as looking at my relationship with myself I am more interested in other people and my relations with them. Whether it be something scientific or psychological or be emotions I relate to a certain person time or place which I have previously experienced personally. What influences this? Why do I do certain things or see things in a particular way?

Is it better to try understand it all from a mental health perspective?
This idea of constantly analysing the way i live and think and why we do the things we do I felt initially would help me solve some of my own personal issues, which is where my work usually rises from, but from being this outside viewer constantly looking in and evaluating things, creates this  strange distance and relationship with myself that can be quite tiring and isolating.

Audiences and the viewers experience.

After discussion we all seemed to be interested in ideas around the viewers experience of our own art work, some wanting a specific audience and some more unsure. I personally want my work to be universal. Regarding the viewers experience we all agree that a big part of our work is creating to trigger some kind of emotion in our audience. We believe this type of art work is the most rewarding to create in the sense that we're not just communicating our work with our own interests and perspectives in mind but looking at a wider picture. The idea of galleries nowadays. Most exhibitions I go to don't seem inspiring. This idea of having to know lots of context before even entering a gallery and have a higher understanding of the arts is projected in most exhibitions. I think it limits arts audience as a whole. People feel like they dont have enough knowledge or don't think in the 'right way' therefore feel they don't 'get' the work and automatically dismiss it. I want to focus more on WHERE I exhibit because it is important.

Can we ever truly communicate what we want to anyway? How important is this?
Aware that viewers will reflect their own personal experiences onto the work therefore will all take something different.